Australian Grandmaster Darryl Johansen produced a steady performance to win his sixth Australian Championship in Geelong, Victoria last month. While 52 is far from over the hill in chess, as one of only seven players aged over 30 among the 30-player field, this was case of fending off the younger generation. Johansen finished unbeaten on 8½/11, a point ahead of a four-way tie for second between GM Zong-Yuan Zhao, IM Vladmiri Smirnov, IM George Xie and IM Stephen Solomon.
Todays' game was probably the key result in Johansen's victory, when he beat top seed Zhao in the sixth round playing with the black pieces.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Qd7
A relative sideline in the French Winawer, this odd-looking queen move prepares to defend g7 and solve the problem of the light-squared “french” bishop by exchanging it on a6. 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 b6 7.Qg4 f5 8.Qg3 Ba6 9.Bxa6 Nxa6 10.Ne2 O-O-O 11.O-O ---
More common is a faster attack on the black king by 11 a4!? Nb8 12 a5 before Black can blockade the a-pawn. 11.--- Nb8 12.Qd3 ---
Deviating from a NZ game Smith-Dowden 1997, which went 12 a4 Nc6 13 Qd3 Na5 14 Qa6+ Kb8 and was eventually drawn. White goes for a more positional approach, exchanging his doubled pawn and bad bishop. 12.--- Nc6 13.c4 Nge7
Not 13...dxc4?! 14 Qxc4 Nxd4 15 Nxd4 Qxd4 16 Qxe6+ with a monster passed pawn on e5. 14.Bg5 h6 15.Bxe7 Nxe7 16.a4 dxc4 17.Qxc4 Qd5 18.Qa6+ Qb7 19.Qd3 Nc6 20.a5!? ---
A typical rook-pawn sacrifice to open the file, though putting the onus on White to attack. 20.--- Nxa5 21.Nf4 Rhe8 22.Rfb1? Nc6!
Forking d4 and e5. After 22 c3 White would have had adequate compensation for his pawn. 23.c3 ---
Missing the significance of Black's 24th move. Instead 23 Ra4! Nxe5 24 Qb3 Nf7 25 Nxe6 Rd7 26 Nc5 Rde7 27 f3 Qa8 28 Nd3 leaves White is only one pawn down and still active. Now Black 'only' needs to absorb White's pressure to have a winning endgame. Johansen makes it looks easy against a strong grandmaster. 23.--- Nxe5 24.Qc2 g5!
Black is ready to give back both pawns to simplify his task: 25 Nxe6!? Rxe6 26 Qxf5 Qd5 27 dxe5 Qxe5 28 Qxe5?! Rxe5 29 Rxa7 Rd3 30 Ra3 Re2! winning the c-pawn (if 31 Rc1? Rc2!) and the two connected passed pawns will win the ending. 25.Nh5 Nd7 26.Ra4 Re7 27.Qa2 Kb8 28.Ra1 a5 29.Rb1 e5!
With the white pieces hugging the edges, it's time to start the counter-attack. The text involves a pawn sacrifice to activate his rooks and highlight White's weak back rank. 30.Ng3 exd4! 31.Nxf5 Re5 32.Nxd4 Rde8 33.h3 Nc5 34.Ra3 Re1+ 35.Kh2 Rxb1 36.Qxb1 Qe4!
Centralising with gain of time, as the passed a-pawn will win if White exchanges queens. Black now dominates positionally as well as materially. 37.Qf1 Qe5+ 38.g3 Qe1 39.Qg2 Qe4 40.Qf1 Rf8 41.Ra2 Nd3 42.f3 Ne5 43.Rf2 Qd5 44.f4 gxf4 45.gxf4 Nc4 46.Qe2 Nd6 47.Qe7 Re8 48.Qd7 Kb7 49.Rg2 Re1 50.Qh7 a4!
The march of the passed pawn soon decides. 51.Qxh6 a3 52.Qh4 Qe4 53.Qf6 ---
Allowing a pretty finish, though 53 Qf2 Rb1! 54 Qf3 Qxf3 55 Nxf3 Ne4! 56 f5 Rb2 and Black wins. 53.--- a2! 54.Rxa2 Qh1+
Australian veteran wins sixth title
Problem: White to play and mate in 2.
Australian Grandmaster Darryl Johansen produced a steady performance to win his sixth Australian Championship in Geelong, Victoria last month. While 52 is far from over the hill in chess, as one of only seven players aged over 30 among the 30-player field, this was case of fending off the younger generation. Johansen finished unbeaten on 8½/11, a point ahead of a four-way tie for second between GM Zong-Yuan Zhao, IM Vladmiri Smirnov, IM George Xie and IM Stephen Solomon.
Todays' game was probably the key result in Johansen's victory, when he beat top seed Zhao in the sixth round playing with the black pieces.
1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.Nc3 Bb4
4.e5 Qd7
A relative sideline in the French Winawer, this odd-looking queen move prepares to defend g7 and solve the problem of the light-squared “french” bishop by exchanging it on a6.
5.a3 Bxc3+
6.bxc3 b6
7.Qg4 f5
8.Qg3 Ba6
9.Bxa6 Nxa6
10.Ne2 O-O-O
11.O-O ---
More common is a faster attack on the black king by 11 a4!? Nb8 12 a5 before Black can blockade the a-pawn.
11.--- Nb8
12.Qd3 ---
Deviating from a NZ game Smith-Dowden 1997, which went 12 a4 Nc6 13 Qd3 Na5 14 Qa6+ Kb8 and was eventually drawn. White goes for a more positional approach, exchanging his doubled pawn and bad bishop.
12.--- Nc6
13.c4 Nge7
Not 13...dxc4?! 14 Qxc4 Nxd4 15 Nxd4 Qxd4 16 Qxe6+ with a monster passed pawn on e5.
14.Bg5 h6
15.Bxe7 Nxe7
16.a4 dxc4
17.Qxc4 Qd5
18.Qa6+ Qb7
19.Qd3 Nc6
20.a5!? ---
A typical rook-pawn sacrifice to open the file, though putting the onus on White to attack.
20.--- Nxa5
21.Nf4 Rhe8
22.Rfb1? Nc6!
Forking d4 and e5. After 22 c3 White would have had adequate compensation for his pawn.
23.c3 ---
Missing the significance of Black's 24th move. Instead 23 Ra4! Nxe5 24 Qb3 Nf7 25 Nxe6 Rd7 26 Nc5 Rde7 27 f3 Qa8 28 Nd3 leaves White is only one pawn down and still active. Now Black 'only' needs to absorb White's pressure to have a winning endgame. Johansen makes it looks easy against a strong grandmaster.
23.--- Nxe5
24.Qc2 g5!
Black is ready to give back both pawns to simplify his task: 25 Nxe6!? Rxe6 26 Qxf5 Qd5 27 dxe5 Qxe5 28 Qxe5?! Rxe5 29 Rxa7 Rd3 30 Ra3 Re2! winning the c-pawn (if 31 Rc1? Rc2!) and the two connected passed pawns will win the ending.
25.Nh5 Nd7
26.Ra4 Re7
27.Qa2 Kb8
28.Ra1 a5
29.Rb1 e5!
With the white pieces hugging the edges, it's time to start the counter-attack. The text involves a pawn sacrifice to activate his rooks and highlight White's weak back rank.
30.Ng3 exd4!
31.Nxf5 Re5
32.Nxd4 Rde8
33.h3 Nc5
34.Ra3 Re1+
35.Kh2 Rxb1
36.Qxb1 Qe4!
Centralising with gain of time, as the passed a-pawn will win if White exchanges queens. Black now dominates positionally as well as materially.
37.Qf1 Qe5+
38.g3 Qe1
39.Qg2 Qe4
40.Qf1 Rf8
41.Ra2 Nd3
42.f3 Ne5
43.Rf2 Qd5
44.f4 gxf4
45.gxf4 Nc4
46.Qe2 Nd6
47.Qe7 Re8
48.Qd7 Kb7
49.Rg2 Re1
50.Qh7 a4!
The march of the passed pawn soon decides.
51.Qxh6 a3
52.Qh4 Qe4
53.Qf6 ---
Allowing a pretty finish, though 53 Qf2 Rb1! 54 Qf3 Qxf3 55 Nxf3 Ne4! 56 f5 Rb2 and Black wins.
53.--- a2!
54.Rxa2 Qh1+
0-1
Solution: 1 Nf5+! gxf5 (1...Kh7 2 Qxg7#) 2 Qh5#.